For example, a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell employs a polymer ion exchange membrane as an electrolyte membrane, and the electrolyte membrane is interposed between an anode and a cathode to form a membrane electrode assembly (MEA). The membrane electrode assembly and a pair of separators sandwiching the membrane electrode assembly make up a power generation cell. In the fuel cell of this type, in use, typically, a predetermined number of the power generation cells are stacked together to form a fuel cell stack mounted in a vehicle.
In a fuel cell vehicle equipped with the fuel cell stack, for example, when an impact (external load) from the front side is applied to the fuel cell stack, it is required to protect components of the fuel cell stack or the like.
For this purpose, for example, an electric vehicle disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-137443 is known. In the electric vehicle, as shown in FIG. 10, a space inside a motor room 1 is divided into an upper space and a lower space by a base panel 2. Though not shown, a traction motor as a rotary electric machine and an air compressor are placed in the lower space of the motor room 1, and a fuel cell stack 3 and a power control unit (PCU) 4 are placed in the upper space of the motor room 1.
Further, the motor room 1 includes a dash panel 5a provided at an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and a pair of fender side inner panels 5b provided on both sides in the width direction of the vehicle, and the motor room 1 is formed into a frame shape as a whole.
The base panel 2 includes a flat plate section 2a having a substantially flat plate shape in a horizontal direction, and a curved plate section 2b connected to a front end of the flat plate section 2a and which is curved to get lower toward the front side in order to avoid a radiator 6 positioned on the upper side.
An upper front end surface, which is an end of the curved plate section 2b on the opposite side of the vehicle compartment, is directly joined/fixed to the lower edge of a front side lower frame 5c by welding or the like. The front side lower frame 5c is provided at the front end of the vehicle, and the front side lower frame 5c is joined to the lower front ends of the pair of fender side inner panels 5b so as to bridge a space between the lower front ends in the vehicle width direction. Further, upper front ends of the pair of fender side inner panels 5b are coupled by an upper front panel (not shown) provided at the front end of the vehicle.
Further, a rear end of the flat plate section 2a (i.e., an end closer to the vehicle compartment in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle) is directly joined/fixed to the front surface of the dash panel 5a by welding or the like in the horizontal direction. Both ends of the flat plate section 2a in the width direction of the vehicle are directly joined/fixed to respective inner surfaces of the pair of fender side inner panels 5b in the width direction by welding or the like in the horizontal direction. The rear end and both ends in the width direction of the flat plate section 2a are directly connected to the dash panel 5a and the fender side inner panels 5b substantially without any gaps therebetween or with some gaps therebetween.
According to the disclosure, in the electric vehicle having the structure, as described above, for example, in the case where an external force is applied from the outside in a direction indicated by an arrow α by a collision or the like, the external force can be borne cooperatively by members including the base panel 2. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily prevent an excessive force from being applied to the members of the vehicle body. Even in the case where the base panel 2 is collapsed, it is possible to easily prevent a large force from being externally applied to components in the motor room 1, such as components placed on the base panel 2 (e.g., the fuel cell stack 3 or the like), and effectively prevent damages to the components.